Bangladesh election moves onlineCEFR B1
10 Feb 2026
Adapted from Mohammad Tarek Hasan, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Kelly Sikkema, Unsplash
Bangladesh is preparing for the 13th National Parliamentary Election on February 12, 2026. Campaigning increasingly takes place online on Facebook, TikTok, X and YouTube, and parties use videos, live streams and campaign sites to speak directly to voters.
The "state of digital" report found about 186 million active mobile connections, 82.8 million internet users (47 percent of the population) and 64 million social media users. Young people aged 13–34 are an important online audience for many campaigns.
The Election Commission has issued regulations that require candidates to submit official social media account details in advance and prohibit content that breaches the electoral code. The rules also ban using artificial intelligence to distort facts or manipulate images and videos.
Despite these rules, fact-checkers and media have found rising misinformation and AI-manipulated content. Reports note nearly 97 AI-generated items on Facebook, 268 instances of misinformation on various platforms, bot-driven "haha" reactions, and public accusations of wide misinformation campaigns.
Difficult words
- campaign — organized actions to win votes or supportCampaigning
- live stream — real-time video broadcast on the internetlive streams
- regulation — official rules made by an authorityregulations
- prohibit — to officially stop something by law
- artificial intelligence — computer systems that perform human-like tasks
- misinformation — false or inaccurate information shared publicly
- fact-checker — person or organization verifying public claimsfact-checkers
- manipulate — to control or change something unfairlyAI-manipulated
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How might online campaigning affect young voters' choices in elections?
- What problems can AI-manipulated content cause during a campaign?
- Do you think requiring candidates to give social media account details is helpful? Why or why not?
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